Boraginales ( Boraginaceae s . l . ) and Lamiales ( Lamiaceae and Verbenaceae ) in a Conservation Area in the Semiarid Region of Northeastern Brazil

A taxonomic treatment for Boraginales (Boraginaceae s.l.) and Lamiales (Lamiaceae and Verbenaceae) in the Engenheiro Avidos Ecological Park, a full-protection reserve located in the semiarid region of Paraíba State in northeastern Brazil is presented in this study. At the Park, a total of 22 species were encountered, including nine species of Boraginaceae s.l., six species of Lamiaceae, and seven species of Verbenaceae. Vitex orinocensis (Lamiaceae) was found for the first time for Caatinga and also represents a new record for Paraíba state. Morphological descriptions, keys for separating the families and respective species; data concerning flowering, fruiting, geographic distributions, and of the preferred habitats of the species found in the study area are also provided.


Introduction
Boraginaceae Juss. in their traditional circumscription is a cosmopolitan family, widely distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions, the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere and the Mediterranean being its main centers of diversity (Al-Shehbaz 1991).It is composed of approximately 2,700 species subordinated to 130 genera (Vieira et al. 2015).In Brazil, it is represented by 11 genera and 135 species, of which 61 are endemic (BFG 2018).
Their species present varied habits, from small herbs to large trees (Al-Shehbaz 1991).According to Melo & Andrade (2007), its leaves are commonly simple, alternate, and sometimes subopposite.The flowers are aggregated in paucifloras or multifloras inflorescences or rarely solitary, positioned in the axillary or supra-axillary region.The fruit is drupaceous, with one or two pyrene, or schizocarp, with two or four nutlets, and constitutes an important character for the delimitation of its genera and species (Johnston 1930).
Lamiaceae Martinov is one of the largest families of Angiosperms and also one of the most economically important.According to Harley (2012), there are estimated 240 genera that gather 7,200 species, occurring in both temperate and tropic regions.They are found mainly in savanna formations (open areas) and in mountainous regions, developing especially in the Mediterranean region (Harley & Reynolds 1992).It is morphologically characterized by quadrangular branches, opposite leaves with serrated margin, often aromatic, and usually zigomorphic flowers of bilabiate corolla (Harley 1996).The family is represented in Brazil by 525 species, of which 344 are endemic (BFG 2018).
Verbenaceae J. St.-Hil. is a Pantropical distribution family, with main center of diversity in the neotropics, especially in South America, but with representatives in the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere (Marx et al. 2010).Their representatives presents undetermined racemes, spikes or glomerulus, ovules adhered to the margins of the false septum, simple style with 2-lobed stigma, extinguished pollen close to openings and unicellular, non-glandular trichomes, which allows distinguishing it from Lamiaceae with which shares some morphological characteristics Judd et al. (2009).Verbenaceae comprises approximately 1,000 species of which 279 species can be found in Brazil being that 179 are endemics (BFG 2018).
The present study considered the former circumscription of Boraginaceae s.l.(APG III 2009;Cohen 2013), while Lamiaceae and Verbenaceae were treated based on the current circumscriptions attributed to both (APG IV 2016).
The EAEP (Engenheiro Avidos Ecological Park) is a complex of mountain ranges between the municipalities of Cajazeiras and São José de Piranhas, in the upper Sertão of the Paraíba state.EAEP is considered a priority area for the conservation of the biodiversity of Paraíba.Despite this, little is known about its plant biodiversity.In this context, the present study focuses on the taxonomic diversity of Boraginaceae, Lamiaceae and Verbenaceae families in EAEP, aiming to increase the knowledge of vegetal biodiversity in Alto Sertão, and this approach will also allow subsidizing the conservation activities of the Ecological Park.

Materials and Methods
The Engenheiro Avidos Ecological Park (EAEP) is located in the municipalities of Cajazeiras and São José de Piranhas, Alto Sertão region of the Paraíba State, Northeastern Brazil (06°50'-7°25'S and 38°10'-38°40'W) and occupies an area of approximately 182 ha (Figs.irregular distribution of the annual precipitation, which rarely exceeds 900 mm; the mean annual temperature is 28 ºC (Alvares et al. 2014).The area soils are of low to medium fertility, and the elevation there varies from 300 to 700 m a.s.l.(EMBRAPA 2007).
Collections were carried out every two weeks for one year (May/2014 to June/2015) in the rainy and dry seasons, exploring all the environments of the EAEP by the method of walking (Filgueiras et al. 1994) The collections obtained during the fieldwork were incorporated into the herbaria of the Universidade do Estado da Bahia (HUNEB), Campus VIII, Coleção Paulo Afonso, Bahia, and the Universidade Estadual da Paraíba (ACAM), Campus I, Campina Grande, Paraíba (not indexed).All acronyms follow Thiers (continuously updated).Genera and species names were assigned based on the specialized literature for the families Boraginaceae s.l., Lamiaceae, and Verbenaceae (Almeida & Albuquerque 2002;Atkins 2005;Cavalheiro et al. 2011;Harley 2012;Lima & França 2007, 2009;Melo & Semir 2008;2010;Santos et al. 2012;Silva & Lima 2012).

Heliotropium angiospermum
This species can be easily recognized by its scabrous to hirsute branches, stigma widely conical, and fruit subglobose, verrucose.
This species can be easily recognized by its climbing habit, branches with brownish lenticels, ovary conical-pyramidal, and conical-triangular stigma.

Ocimum campechianum
It's easily identified by having punctiform glands on the leaves, bracts, and calyx as well as foliaceous bracts with acute to caudate apex and upper lacinia cymbiform with rounded apex.Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 2: 247. 1818.
This species can be readily identified by its subcoriaceous central leaflet, inflorescence in dichasia, with divaricate branches, as well as anthers blackish.

Stachytarpheta microphylla
This species can be easily recognized by its sessile leaves, and corolla red.

Figure 2 -
Figure 2 -a-b.windward slope of the Engenheiro Avidos Mountain -a.dry season.b. rainy season.c-d.windward slope of the Frade Mountain -c.dry season.d. rainy season.e-f.lee side of the Engenheiro Avidos Mountain -e.dry season.f. rainy season.
Varronia leucomalloides is endemic to Brazil, being recorded only from the northeastern region in the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Paraíba, and Pernambuco, in Caatinga s.str.vegetation(BFG  2018).Found in the EAEP associated with open shrubby Caatinga vegetation on clayey-rocky soils.Flowering in March.
Examined material: associated with Amazonian, Atlantic Forest, and Pantanal (wetlands)-vegetation (BFG 2018), but had not yet been recorded for Caatinga, representing a new occurrence for Paraíba state and Caatinga vegetation in this study.This species was encountered in the EAEP in anthropogenically modified areas near residences going on clayey soils.Flowering in March.